Diary for George Lush Finlay, 1915-1918 - Part 18

Mar 13^th Went into Amiens
last Sunday and
arrived back at the
school at 1.30 a.m. the
following morning.
The usual thing took
place. Plenty of wine
a sore head and a
cleaned out pocket.
"C'est la guerre.

Wrote to Fred
          "   "  Rob.

Mar 19^th Just had a letter
from Fred in which he
tells me that Rob is engaged
to Marge Fussell. This means
the loss of a male friend
to me I suppose. I am
sorry that the inevitable
has happened and only
too glad that these two
have mated.

Wrote to Andy
              " Marge Fuss
 

Jan 6^th Leaving here for Buire
tomorrow. Things have been
very quiet and slow here
and I hope that we'll have
a bit more life when we
get back.
Had dinner with Mick
on New Year's Day. He
was well screwed but
not sufficiently to make
a beast of himself.
My second star has
come at last. I have to
look forward to my
third now but that is
a very long way off.
Received a letter from
Phil.

Wrote to Phil
               " Lucille Daborvel.

we will have about
6 weeks or two months
spell in order to reorganise
& re equip. There is also
a yarn about the
formation of a 6^th Aust.
Div. which seems to does
not seem to be more than
a yarn for where the
men are coming from
Lord only knows.
The papers are not making
much fuss about the
retirement & do not
mention the Australians
at all, so I don't suppose
the people in Australia
will be very excited.
Wrote to Auntie 9
"  "  Jessie
"  "  Len S.
"  "  Murray W
"  "  Pike V.
 

Jan 12^th Received pcl from
Auntie in an R.C.
Wilson tin also letter
from Eric saying that
he heard I was engaged
to a girl in Castlemaine

Jan 12^th Marched into
Warloy from Buire
yesterday through
Laviéville & Hénencourt
It had been snowing
fairly heavily and
the woods and fields
which are, of course,
untouched by shell
fire were very pretty.

Expect to remain here
for a week or so.
Received letter from
Auntie acknowledging
mine from Etaples.
Also one from Murie
Parcel from Auntie
enclosing book from Katie

Wrote to Mrs Boyce
[[Kirrmeyne?]]
[[?orsk?]] St
Ballarat
re Capt Boyce

on the Somme, with large
grounds which in summer
should look very pretty
At present they are all
quite bare and the
weather is very bleak.
Snow fell again yesterday
but very quickly melted
but I expect we will
have another fall tonight.
Maltby is one of the
instructors & he has our
squad. He tells us that
General Gough intends
to use the Australians
this summer as an army
of pursuit, and that
 

and today a small
parcel of socks and
toothpaste and brush.

Jan 13^th Wrote to Marge
"  "  Auntie (7)
"  "  M^rs Templeton
"  "  Muriel M
&c   Eric 6
"  "  Rob 3
"  "  Fred
"  "  Gordon
"  "  Lou R.

Jan 26. Left Warloy on the
22^nd Jan and marched
to Albert where we stayed
two days. Left Albert
two days  yesterday
and are now camped
not very far from High
Wood in a camp
which is as cold as
the devil. Snow still

Marj 7: Am at Divisional School
Travancourt learning squad
drill all over again and in
addition having a ill much
needed rest. I left the Bⁿ the on
the sunken road at Factory
Corner where we were in
dugouts after being relieved
from Bayonet Trench &
Rye Trench & the forward
posts by the 7^th.
Nothing much happened
after the counter attack
except the capture of
two of D boy's posts
which were each garrisoned
by 6 men and also 1
Lewis gun. All the men
were apparently taken
as well as the gun
We recaptured them
taking three more prisoners
Maunsell & Rigg are
with me now. The school
is held in a Chateau

covers everything although
has fallen for at least
two weeks. The water on
shell holes has frozen
and the ice is at least
two inches thick.
Boots freeze at night and
it is a dickens of a job
to get them on in the
morning. A pot of water
left in our hut last
night, notwithstanding
a fire which had been
kept going till about
10 o'clock, froze hard
and had an inch of
ice on it this morning
The cold is really
awful and to go
out in the wind is
to be in agony.
I don't know what
it will be like in the
line but there is a

so if we have it
has been a very great
piece bit of work.
It is a feather in the
5^th's cap, as is all
the work that we have
done since taking
over from the 7^th.
I know that I have been
spoken about to Bⁿ
and also to the Brigadier
by Major L. (first) & Capt
Carter (second)
The men are all
as happy as kings
laughing & talking nineteen
to the dozen. I am
sorry I was not forward
in the thing for the
excitement was great.
Griffiths will most likely
be decorated, I hope so.
 

least the consolation
that the mud has
frozen and the snow
is quite dry.
Have been acting
OC of the company for
six days now and
will carry on in this
capacity till Carter
returns which I expect
he will do in two or
three days.

Jan 29th  Wrote to Kath.
"  " Annie
"  " Mollie
"  " Bill M
"  " Eric 7

Jan 31^st  Fritz put on a H.E
shrapnel over our hut
last night and Pike V.
got a bullet under the
shoulder blade. I doubt

Jessies address
King George's Hptl.
Stamford St.
Waterloo
London

Luis address
No 3. Canadian General
Hpl
Boulogne

Phil's address
No 3 Aust. Aux Hpl
Dartford
Kent
 

it will be very serious
but it will mean about
three months absence
at least.

Jan 31^st. Received letter from
Auntie enclosed is a
letter from Lizzie Taylor
who will receive my
letters and send them
on.
Her address is
20 [[?Eindlesham]] St
Wandsworth Common
London

Wrote to Jessie
"  " Len J.
"  " Phil 

say Don't shoot then fell
into shell holes not far
in front, and called out
"Shoot! they are  Fritzes"
& we got to them properly
At present, I am
quite certain that
we have taken 30
prisoners wounded &
unwounded & have
killed about 12. told
One officer was killed
and another wounded
& captured.
We had no few casualties
five altogether I think
one of whom was
Smith who was hit
in the head or jaw.
Some people reckon
that we have killed,
wounded & taken prisoner
at least 60 (The three
battalions between them
 

Feb 4^th Went up the line
to reconnoitre the position
which we are to take
over shortly. Had a
long & tiring tramp
across the snow covered
fields and along the
frozen duckboards
with the result that I
was very tired when
I got back. The position
seems to be a very
comfortable one and
a quite one although
the eighth say that
it's a little more
lively than when
the English Bde were
in owing, they think,
to the fact that the
Saxons have been
relieved by the
Prussians who are
much more stiff backed

wounding about the
same number. Then
we hopped out & chased
them with bayonets on
to the 6^th Bⁿ who
captured 23. We captured
about 12 and the 59^th Bⁿ
away over on our right
got some more.
Fritz apparently caught
the 59^th napping for they
took about 6 prisoners &
placed a guard over
them. The 6^th eventually
went back captured
the guard & realeased
the prisoners.
Two of the 6^th were
caught by the patrol
which we fired on
and when we saw
these two sixth men
we stopped firing but
they put up their hands
 

than the lazy Saxon.
I have been told today
that the 2^nd is to do
a raid in about ten
days time. It will be
a small affair and
only 20 men will go ve
over with three officers
All the officers have
volunteered of course and
we are now waiting
for the colonel's selection.

I don't know whether
I will be chosen or not.
for the type of man
required is the man
with plenty of dash
and not much ability
for organization.
I am in two minds
about the affair and
not quite sure whether
I'll be glad if I am
chosen or not. I suppose
I'll have regrets

Auntie this morning

Mar 2^nd Things move quickly.
We were relieved in Rye
Trench by C company
and returned to Bayonet
Trench. B & D Coys went
forward and took over
more front and held the
front line more strongly
At about 5.30 this morning
Fritz shoved over a very
heavy barrage a part of
which came back to
us. A half an hour later
at Fritz patrol - very large -
came out and apparently
lost themselves for the
wandered right up on to
one of our strong points
getting in our rear as
well as front. Our fellows
opened fire on them
and killed at least 12
 

either way.
The men have come
forward well about
50 of A company rushing
it and that shows the
spirit of the Aust &
to a certain extent
the temperament of our
men - the desire for
action being very prominent
in the majority of them.

Feb 5^th  As far as I know
I have not been
chosen to go, Griffith
has charge of the outfit
and it is I am  not likely
that I will be chosen
by a two star man
In a way I am sorry
for it would have been
an experience without
much danger attached
to it.

Mar 1^st Still in Barley Trench
Last night we explored
a dugout behind which had
apparently been used by
a Fritz sniper. It was
very commodious and had
two French spring mattrasses,
a heavy gilt framed
mirror, empty & half full wine bottles
a silver cigarette case

We relieved the dug out
of the mattrass and put
it in ours. I went along
the trench to our left
this morning looking
for a few things but
found nothing but
a few gun pits in
rear which have been
properly smashed.
He is putting some
big stuff over this
morning but all on our
left.
Received a parcel from
 

Had dinner at Bde
HQrs with Bill Roach
and learnt the good news
of the declaration of war
by America on Germany
This should prove be  a very
great moral and [[convincing?]]
factor and certainly should
bring the war to an
earlier end.

Wrote to Lizzie Taylor
"  "  Auntie 8
"   "  Mick
"  " Dot Bartrach.

Feb 13^th. In company H.Q
dugout on our new front.
We relieved two nights
ago and I spent the
first night and day
in a dug out which
has the high sounding
name of advanced CHQ